


Distractions of Co-Habitation

by anubislover



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Dirty Thoughts, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 17:15:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12085620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anubislover/pseuds/anubislover
Summary: Altair's on thin ice with the Dean after an incident over the summer, so when he gets assigned a new roommate, he knows he's not in a position to complain. But he didn't expect a woman to walk through the door. Especially not a gorgeous one with a posh accent and fiery temper.Maria just transferred from rival school Templar Institute, so she knew she was lucky to be getting an apartment at all. But she wasn't expecting a male roommate. Especially not a handsome one with a sexy smirk and an infuriating attitude.Despite the curveball, they know they have no choice but to endure. They can ignore their hormones. Neither can afford distractions. They've got too much riding on this year.





	Distractions of Co-Habitation

When Altair had moved into his on-campus apartment, he’d only given the Resident Director a few specifics when it came to a roommate: neat, not on drugs, and not a crazed ax-murderer. He thought those requests were reasonable enough, considering how he was on thin-ice with the school board, so he didn’t think it was prudent to give a list of demands, especially since they’d only had a month to find him a new roommate before his junior year at Creed University started.

He hadn’t thought “male” was something he’d had to specify, though.

The woman who was currently invading his apartment seemed just as surprised as he was. Surely she knew that as a transfer student, she was basically scraping the bottom of the barrel when it came to roommates, but he couldn’t blame her for nearly dropping the box she’d been carrying. Didn’t mean he was happy, though. He gave her a brief once-over. Legs a mile long. Broad shoulders, clearly indicating she was an athlete of some sort. Brown hair tied back in a braid, a few strands already loose, framing her oval face. Pale cheeks slightly flushed, either from the exertion of carrying a heavy box up two flights of stairs or embarrassment at being caught off-guard. Platinum grey eyes that were studying him just as critically.

Yup. She was hot. Which meant she was going to be a distraction, something he couldn’t afford this semester.

“M. Thorpe?” he asked dryly. The note he’d gotten from the RD hadn’t even mentioned her first name, just the date of the move-in.

She awkwardly cleared her throat. “Maria. I suspect you were expecting something else,” she said, back ramrod straight and looking at him as if he were a potentially poisonous spider she’d found in her living room.

Fuck. How did a posh accent like that manage to sound condescending and sexy as hell?

Slowly, he stood and extended his hand. “Altair Ibn-La’Ahad. Junior year, history major.”

Putting down the box, she cautiously shook his hand. “Maria Thorpe. Junior year, movement science. Just transferred from Templar University.”

He wrinkled his nose. “You were a Crusader?”

The Creed Assassins and the Templar Crusaders had a long and storied rivalry. Only two towns away from each other, they competed in everything from sports to sciences. Neither side could stand each other. Creed University was a respected yet fairly liberal university, known for taking risks with experimental classes and defying the status quo. Templar Institute, meanwhile, started out as a private religious school before expanding, but it still kept its strict doctrine and desire for order, not to mention old money connections. Even their mottos were in opposition to each other: “Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted,” was often spoken as a “fuck you” to their snooty “May the Father of Understanding Guide Us.”

Maria dropped his hand as if it were toxic. “Is that going to be a problem?” she asked defensively.

Honestly, it might. Most of his current troubles stemmed from the fight he’d gotten into with some of Templar’s students that summer. His old roommate, Abbas, had gotten expelled because of it, and it was only due to his exceptional extracurricular credits and cutting a deal with the Dean that Altair wasn’t similarly booted. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean he was off the hook, and he suspected being saddled with a Templar transfer was another aspect of his punishment. Still, he’d endure. Nothing was going to distract him from his goals, and he was sure as hell not going to let some woman get to him. “No more than anything else. Just do your own dishes and don’t hog the bathroom with your morning beauty routine and we’ll be fine. And try not to have your giggling girlfriends over every night; I have morning classes.”

“That won’t be a problem; so do I.”

He snorted. “Assuming you actually go. Try to remember that you’re at Creed now; you actually have to work hard instead of coasting by on Daddy’s money.”

Her eyes narrowed, and he found himself admiring the way the grey orbs flashed with fury. They were quite stunning, and he was half-tempted to draw them. “Well, just be sure not to leave your trash everywhere or have girlfriends over every night, and I’m sure I can keep my primping to a minimum.” Then, in a sickly-sweet tone, she added, “Oh, and a word of advice? If I can hear their moans from my room, that doesn’t mean you’re some sort of sex god; it means they’re faking it.”

Altair glared. He was already in a bad mood from being reminded by the headmaster what was riding on this year, and he had no interest in dealing with more condescension. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll leave you to unpack,” he said, grabbing his sleeveless hoodie and heading towards the door.

“Not going to be a gentleman and offer to help?” she replied, annoyance strong in her voice. With other people moving in, the elevators were too much of a hassle, and she wasn’t looking forward to bringing her stuff up those stairs on her own.

He smirked at her over his shoulder. “A Crusader asking for help? I never thought I’d see the day. Don’t you have a butler to carry your bags for you?”

She glared at him. “I’m not a Crusader anymore, though I suppose I should have expected this attitude from an Assassin.”

With a shrug, he tossed on the hoodie. He desperately needed some air, and a run would do him good. “Get used to it. If the other people in this building find out where you came from, they’ll eat you alive.”

“So of course you’re heading out to advertise that from the rooftops.” Despite her dry tone, he detected a note of apprehension in her voice.

With a frown, he considered it. Her getting run out of the apartment would mean he wouldn’t have to deal with her all year, but at the same time, it would probably look bad for him if something happened to her. The Dean had specifically told him that getting into any more fights, especially with Crusaders, would result in his immediate expulsion. She was probably chosen as his roommate to specifically test that, despite her gender. And he knew if he called him on it, the Dean would give some bullshit excuse about all the other rooms being filled, or testing out if men and women could cohabitate. He wouldn’t put it past the old man, nor would it be the first time the school got “experimental” with rooming assignments.

Besides, if the other tenants decided to harass her, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t be a target, too. He wasn’t exactly popular, and the other students might see it as killing two birds with one stone. “I won’t tell anyone. Just do yourself a favor and keep your head down.”

“I can take care of myself.”

A smirk came to his lips, the kind that twisted his lip scar in the way he knew most women found irresistible. He was pleased to see her eyes drop to his lips before flickering back to his eyes. He didn’t need her as a distraction, but it was good to see she wasn’t completely made of ice. “Then you don’t need me to help you with your stuff.” Stepping out into the hall, he called over his shoulder, “Oh, and welcome to Creed University.”

**Author's Note:**

> Readers of the Dubai Seduction, don't worry, me starting this doesn't mean I've forgotten about it! I just came up with this idea and thought it might be a fun little side project. At the very least it can help keep the creative juices going. I'm also happy to hear suggestions for future chapters!
> 
> More characters, especially Assassins, will be added as we go, so don't be afraid to suggest your favorite!


End file.
